The Show Must Go On
by Elizabeth5
Summary: A sort of sequel to Orpheus. The point of view from those left behind on Earth. A little more closure to those things left unsaid in the Buffyverse. Not your typical post-Angel fic (hopefully).
1. Sex, Lies, and Videotape

**The Show Must Go On**  
  
Author: Elizabeth5

Summary: A sort of sequel to Orpheus. The point of view from those fighting the big battle down on Earth. More closure for those things left unsaid in the finales of Buffy and Angel. Not your typical post-Angel fic (hopefully).

Rating: PG mostly, PG-13 at the most

Disclaimer: My plot, Joss's characters.

Pairings: Mostly Buffy/Spike, but there are lots of surprises.

Author's Note: Reading Orpheus is not a must for reading this story. But since I love to shamelessly plug my own stories– go read Orpheus. You know you want to. :) And before I get a lot of complaints for the pairings I put in my story (we Buffyverse fans are so opinionated), I'd just like to state that even if I favor a particular pairing, I will not slam any other pairing. My story will be predominantly Buffy/Spike, but I will not slam Buffy/Angel or Buffy/Xander or Buffy/Clem or anything else (Well, I might slam Buffy/Riley a little, but only 'cuz I can). So please be kind to my choices in pairings. Oh, and just a fair warning, I'm not at all afraid to kill off characters ('cuz they're in Heaven! Go read Orpheus!).  
  
Chapter One: Sex, Lies, and Videotape  
  
"Hey, maybe we could go to Madrid next."  
  
"Or Paris– I've always wanted to go to Paris..."  
  
Buffy Summers listened half-heartedly to the conversation behind her as she sorted through the various boxes around the room. It seemed that each time they moved, she was taking inventory, deciding what could be left behind. It would be nice to have a home again, a genuine home with picture frames and leaky faucets and the works. But for now, they were vagabonds.  
  
"What do you think, Buffster?"  
  
Buffy turned at the sound of her name and smiled wanly at Xander. "I dunno. You guys decide."  
  
She turned away again, but not before noticing "the look" between Xander and Dawn. It was something she'd been noticing a lot of lately, but she did her best to just ignore it. It was easier to pretend she didn't see it than to try and explain things to them, or herself.  
  
"I think we should go to Finland," Andrew spoke up, "I hear they're very good at badminton there..."  
  
Buffy merely stared at him for a moment, resisting the urge to smile. This was her family now. Since the closing of the Hellmouth, everyone had pretty much gone their separate ways: Faith was in New York with Principal Wood, Giles was busy reforming the Watcher's council, Willow was currently in a different plane, and the slayers formerly known as potentials were who knows where. Only Xander and Dawn remained her constant companions now. And for some odd reason, Andrew. For the most part, she was happy with her little family. But there was always that lingeirng memory of those she'd left behind.  
  
Suddenly, Dawn was at her side, gently tapping her elbow. "Hey, Buff, you okay?"  
  
Buffy blinked at her in surprise, forcing a smile. "Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be, Dawnie?"  
  
Dawn exchanged another none-too-secret glance with Xander. They really needed to work on that whole stealth thing. "Well, it's just...you've seemed a little down. Ever since the Immortal left."  
  
"You weren't in love with that guy, were you?" Xander blurted. "'Cuz if he broke your heart, I'll track him down and...give him a severe talking to."  
  
Buffy's smile was genuine now. "No, I wasn't in love with the Immortal. So you can save your intense scolding for some other time."  
  
Xander looked visibly relieved. "Well, it's probably for the best. I don't swing that way, but that Immortal guy was really something. He made me feel all flustered."  
  
Buffy understood all too well. There was no denying the Immortal was handsome and charming and–wow!– was he a good kisser. But he was just a fling, a mere replacement for...things Buffy wouldn't let herself think about.  
  
"Hey, my videotape!"  
  
Dawn, Buffy, and Xander turned in surprise to see Andrew crouched beside one of the boxes, his face filled with glee. Xander frowned at him. "Is this one of those creepy things we should pretend not to know about?"  
  
"Ooh, can I watch?" Dawn piped up.  
  
"No!" Buffy and Xander chorused at once.  
  
"It's not dirty," Andrew insisted indignantly, "you big pervs. Remember that home video I made right before the big battle? This is it."  
  
Xander grinned in remembrance. "Oh, right. That was so annoying." A beat, and then, "Let's watch it. Popcorn anyone?"  
  
As everyone obligingly moved toward the couch, Buffy groaned. "Come on– remember all the packing fun we were having? Who needs a movie when we have styrofoam and packing tape?"  
  
"Sorry, Buffy," Dawn said, pulling her down onto the couch, "the tribe has spoken."  
  
Andrew popped in the tape and it began. The first part was pretty boring, as it was mostly Andrew explaining demons and the Hellmouth and what-not, but then the action moved into the kitchen. Dawn squealed as she came into view. "Oh my gosh– look at my hair! I was such a nerd."  
  
Dawn's hair was now chin-length and sprinkled with blonde and red highlights. Buffy disliked it; it made her look too old.  
  
The camera panned to Buffy, who was complaining about being filmed. "Someone back me up on this," said videotape Buffy, "Spike?"  
  
And there was Spike's face, filling the screen. Buffy felt the familiar ache in her chest, though she kept her face impassive, well aware that Dawn and Xander were watching her. Andrew shot her an oddly furtive look but remained silent.  
  
Camera-Buffy squared her shoulders back. "There's something I need to tell you. I had a vision last night..."  
  
The camera swiveled around to Andrew's face. "These morale speeches of Buffy's tend to get a little long-winded, so we'll come back in a minute..."  
  
"Hey!" Buffy cried, glaring over at Andrew.  
  
He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Artistic integrity. I had to tell the truth and nothing but the truth."  
  
"Like the part where you called yourself an evil mastermind?" Xander countered.  
  
Andrew scrunched down lower in his seat. "Just shut up, all right? You're making me miss the movie."  
  
The shot had changed to the living room, where Anya and Xander sat discussing their feelings for one another. Buffy felt Xander stiffen next to her. She reached out and took his hand; Dawn put her head on his shoulder.  
  
"She was quite the girl, wasn't she?" Xander asked after a moment.  
  
"Yeah," Dawn ventured quietly, "she was."  
  
The shot changed once again. Now they were in the basement, and Spike was smoking a cigarette, glaring into the camera. "I thought I told you to sod off. Keep sticking your nose around here and I'll– "  
  
Behind the camera, Andrew cleared his throat. "Um, Spike? The light is kind of behind you..."  
  
Spike obediently stepped back. "Better?" He adopted the old glare. "I thought I told you to sod off..."  
  
And suddenly, it was too much. Buffy rose to her feet, blindly making her way toward the door. Dawn started up after her. "Buffy, wait!"  
  
Buffy shook her head. "I can't...I can't watch this, I can't deal with this right now– "  
  
She was interruptd by the shrill ring of her cell phone. Sighing resignedly, she stopped in her tracks and answered it. "Hello? Giles, hi. I was kind of...what? When did this happen?"  
  
The others were listening closely now.  
  
Buffy gripped the phone intently. "All right...yeah, I understand." She turned it off, turning to face the others, her face grim.   
  
"What's happening, Buffy?" Xander inquired, the usual humor missing from his voice.  
  
"Get ahold of any allies you can think of," Buffy instructed briskly, heading for the apartment phone. "We have a potential apocalypse on our hands– a bad one."  
  
"As opposed to the good apocalypses," Dawn returned drolly.  
  
Buffy ignored her. "Tell them it's absolutely vital that we get their help. This could be the big one, guys. Giles says the demon activity is off the charts– he's never seen anything like it. We're gonna need all the manpower we can get."  
  
"We're on it," Xander said, heading for their contact list. He stopped as a sudden thought seemed to strike him. "Where should we tell them to go?"  
  
Buffy met his gaze evenly. "L.A."  
  
_Next time on the Show Must Go On...  
  
_ Demons, soldiers, and reunions, oh my!


	2. The Circus

**The Show Must Go On**  
Author: Elizabeth5

Chapter Two: The Circus  
  
By the time Buffy reached the battlefield, everything was already in full swing. It was unlike anything she had ever seen– there was a literal army of demons, and it seemed that its numbers were never-ending. She even thought she spotted a dragon somewhere, though that could have been her imagination.  
  
As they approached the chaos, Buffy glanced over her shoulder. "Dawn, stay back. Giles said that Willow and that coven group from England are positioned near the east barrier. Xander will make sure you get there, and then _stay_ there. If I hear that you even set so much as one toe into the battle– "   
  
Dawn rolled her eyes. "I know, I know. You'll ground me 'til I'm fifty."  
  
Buffy watched as Xander and Dawn made their way to the east barrier. Beside her, Andrew fidgeted. "Are you sure you want me in on this?" he inquired. "Maybe I should go help Dawn and Willow..."  
  
"You can stay on the outskirts if you want," Buffy informed him, resisting the urge to roll her eyes, "but we need all the help we can get." She pushed a machine gun into his arms and then started toward the battle herself, pausing as a sudden thought struck her. "Just try not to kill anyone from our side, all right?"  
  
With that said, Buffy turned and threw herself into the fray. She had taken out three demons by the time she ran into Faith, who had arrived earlier with Principal Wood. "Hey, B," Faith shouted in greeting, a grin plastered on her face. She'd always loved this combat stuff. "Good to see you. It's a real circus out here."  
  
A red, scaly demon charged toward Buffy from the side. She swung her axe at it, hearing a satisfying thunk as it connected with the demon's neck. "I always liked the circus," she called back to Faith, then threw herself onto a Frevora demon's back.  
  
Ten or so demons later, Buffy heard someone calling her name. She turned to see Angel, limping but still fighting. "I should have known I'd see you here," he called to her, all the while grappling with a light blue demon.  
  
"Think I'd miss out on all the fun?" Buffy called back. A demon approached her from behind and grabbed her in a head-lock.  
  
"Buffy!"   
  
Angel started for her, but by the time he got there, Buffy already had flipped the demon over onto its back. She grabbed a nearby sword from the ground and plunged it into the demon's chest.  
  
"I hate it when they mess up my hair," she complained, though there was a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.  
  
Angel smiled at her fondly, their eyes connecting. "Looks all right to me."  
  
The moment lasted for only a second, and then they were off again, fighting the seemingly never-ending horde of monsters. Buffy took out one and was bracing herself to charge a snake-like creature when she heard a familiar war cry and turned in time to see a flash of platinum hair surging through the crowd.  
  
She felt as though a vacuum cleaner had been shoved down into her lungs, sucking out all the air. "Spike?"  
  
But before she could see for herself whether it was her supposedly dead lover, she was rushed from the side by two particularly slimy demons. By the time she was done with them, the man who might have been Spike was long gone.   
  
There was a low growl from behind her, and Buffy turned to see a werewolf down on its haunches, preparing to attack. She raised her axe into the air and started forward.  
  
"Buffy, no!"  
  
Buffy stopped in confusion, looking around. "Willow?" The voice had belonged to her best friend, but the red-head wicca was nowhere in sight.  
  
"Buffy, that's Oz," came Willow's voice once again, "we have him under a spell so that he can use his werewolf powers without harming anyone on our side."  
  
Buffy lowered her axe once more. "Oh. Cool." She gave the werewolf a little half-wave. "Sorry, Oz!"   
  
Oz merely growled and threw himself at the back of an unsuspecting demon.  
  
With a sigh, Buffy turned just in time to stop a sword which was plummeting toward her back. She glared reprovingly at the demon on the other end of the sword. "Hitting me while my back is turned? Not cool– "  
  
Before the words were fully out of her mouth, another demon had hit her from behind with something large and heavy. Buffy fell to the ground, rolling over in time to see a huge, troll-like demon wielding a heavy club. Under normal circumstances, she might have made a pun or two referring to Harry Potter, but the blow to the back of her head had been a hard one, and she was having difficulty maintaining consciousness.  
  
The demon raised the club over his head, preparing to strike once again. Buffy pressed her eyes shut. This was it. This was it. This was it...  
  
A familiar roar filled the air. Buffy opened her eyes to see a blur of movement run past. There was a man on the back of the troll-demon; the demon was putting up quite a struggle, but after a moment it groaned and fell to the ground with a heavy thud. Buffy's eyes began to clear just as a hand reached down to help her up.  
  
"Are you all right?"  
  
No, this wasn't happening. She was dreaming. Or she was dead. Either way, there was no way that Spike was in front of her. In just a moment, he would disappear.  
  
But the moment passed, and he didn't disappear. Instead, he was gazing at her intently, his eyes filled with worry. "Buffy, are you all right?"  
  
She reached out shakily and took his hand, just to make sure it was real. Flesh met flesh. His skin was cold and tangible. "You're real," she said wonderingly.  
  
The moment was shattered as she spotted a demon charging toward them out of the corner of her eye. Wordlessly, she took her axe and threw it at the demon without ever turning. It lodged into the demon's neck, and the monster fell to the ground with a groan. Still, Buffy kept her eyes trained on Spike, afraid that if she blinked he would disappear.  
  
Spike looked vaguely guilty. "I wanted to tell you," he began.  
  
Buffy continued to grip his hand, finding herself unable to speak. Another demon charged at them and Spike plunged a sword into his gut, never breaking eye contact. Buffy knew they couldn't continue on this way but she literally felt as though she had lost the ability to move or breathe.  
  
Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw it.  
  
Giles on bended knee, too tired to move, as a demon raised a sword ominously over his head.  
  
"Giles!" she cried frantically, finally wrenching away from Spike. She tore through the crowd, pushing anyone who happened to get in her way, friend or foe. When she was only four or five steps away, the demon plunged the sword forward into Giles' chest.  
  
With a moan, Giles slumped onto the ground. Buffy frantically searched for the nearest weapon she could find; there was an abandoned rifle on the ground, and she picked it up, shooting the demon squarely in the head. The demon fell to the ground, dead upon impact of the bullet, but still Buffy continued to shoot until she had reached him. Clutching the gun, she fell down beside Giles.  
  
"Giles, hold on," she instructed, her voice brimming with emotion, "we can get you to a doctor...Willow can perform a spell maybe..."  
  
He remained silent, too far gone to speak. With his last measure of strength, he reached up and gently stroked the side of her face, smiling. And then he was gone.  
  
Buffy merely sat there for a moment, too stunned to move. Giles was gone. Giles, her watcher, the only real father she'd ever known...  
  
"You're Buffy, right?"  
  
Buffy looked up to see a darkly attractive man standing over her. He was wearing a bandana and was clutching his side heavily. "I'm Gunn," he said, "one of Angel's people."  
  
She blinked at him, trying to find her voice. "Um, hi...I'm kind of..."  
  
He motioned to Giles. "Was he a friend of yours?" She nodded, and Gunn smiled sympathetically, wincing through his pain. "I'm sorry about that."  
  
Her eyes traveled to the wound at his side. "You're injured," she pointed out, then immediately felt stupid for saying it.  
  
"I know." Gunn winced again. "I'm actually kind of dying. But I wanted the chance to meet you before I go. They talk about you all the time, you know. Angel and Spike. Anyway, I was wondering if I could borrow your gun."  
  
Numbly, Buffy handed over the rifle. They talk about you, he'd said. They. Angel and Spike. He'd been hiding from her all this time.   
  
Gunn smiled as he took the gun. "Thanks for the ammo. Nice to meet you."  
  
"Nice to meet you, too," Buffy called out weakly.  
  
With that said, Gunn turned and surged into the crowd, aiming the rifle as best he could without further irritating his wound. He took out three demons and injured a fourth before stumbling forward onto the ground. He lay there, completely still.  
  
Buffy winced at this and looked away. Her gaze fell upon Giles once more, and she gingerely reached out and closed his eyes. She stared at Giles for a moment longer, then grabbed a nearby broadsword.   
  
With a determined glint in her eye, she threw herself at the nearest creature.


	3. The Sky is Falling

**The Show Must Go On**  
Author: Elizabeth5

a/n: I warned you guys– I'm really not afraid to kill off characters. Read Orpheus to find out why! Okay, I'll stop promoting myself now. Maybe.  
  
Chapter Three: The Sky Is Falling  
  
She had been fighting nonstop for the past three hours. It had been three hours since Giles' death, little more than three hours since she'd found out that Spike was still alive, and Buffy had been given absolutely no time to process these two monumental events. She couldn't let herself think of them, because then she'd slow down, and then she'd lose.  
  
It was difficult to tell who was still alive now. She thought she'd caught a blur of Principal Wood, and there was some freakishly strong blue chick who seemed to be fighting on their side. She was fairly certain that Angel was still alive, because she would just _feel_ it if he was gone. The same for those others who were nearest and dearest to her– Dawn, Xander, Willow. Spike. Of course, she hadn't felt that he was still alive, so maybe that train of logic was a faulty one. Maybe everyone she loved was gone, just like Giles.  
  
But she wouldn't let herself think that. Buffy took hold of the head of the demon she was fighting it, twisting it sharply to the side. It fell to the ground, lifeless. One down, dozens to go. It seemed no matter how many killed, there were ten or twenty waiting to take its place.  
  
_I can't go on like this much longer_, she realized, a surge of panic rushing through her. What if this was it? What if this was the real, end-all apocalypse? There were so many things left unsaid. _Will they know I love them?_ she wondered as she hacked off the head of a chaos demon. _Will I see them again?  
_  
And then suddenly, Buffy felt herself being frozen in time, unable to move. She panicked at first, struggling to break free, but then a feeling of utmost serenity washed over her. A wave of cold energy overtook her body, beginning at her core and spreading out to the ends of her hair and the tips of her toes. With surprising calm, she watched as a literal wall of green fire came rushing toward them. She closed her eyes, bracing herself for the end. But a moment later, nothing had happened, and Buffy opened her eyes to find she was surrounded by the flames, completely unsinged.  
  
Other creatures around her were not so lucky. They screamed in agony as the flames consumed their flesh, picking the bones dry. The agony was so extreme that Buffy almost felt sorry for them.  
  
Almost.  
  
And then it was gone. Buffy slumped to the ground, panting as she struggled to regain her bearings. She heard a girlish squeal and a moment later, Dawn was at her side, her eyes alight with excitement. "Oh my gosh, Buffy, it was so cool," she babbled, "Willow did this spell, and her hair got all white, and then she was using my essence to power this giant wall of flames, hence the green energy– "  
  
"Dawn!" Buffy cried when she had finally found her voice.  
  
Dawn's face fell. "Geesh, Buffy, the battle's over. All the demons are dead, partly because of me, so don't _even_ yell at me for coming onto the battlefie– "  
  
She was silenced as Buffy threw herself at her, hugging her tightly. Dawn patted her back awkwardly. "Oh, I get it. I love you, too, Buffy. And, ow."  
  
Buffy pulled back, her face apologetic. "I'm sorry, I just...I didn't know if we were going to make it."  
  
As the words passed through her lips, her face darkened, and she glanced backward. Giles' body remained on the pavement, lifeless but unsinged by the flames. For that, at least, she could be grateful.  
  
Dawn followed her gaze and let out a little gasp. "Oh my gosh...Giles!"  
  
As Dawn ran to the fallen watcher, Buffy let her gaze run over those who were still standing. So many had fallen during the battle: Giles, Gunn, dozens of former potentials. She pressed her eyes shut, forcing back the emotion that threatened to overwhelm her.   
  
"Buffy, are you all right?"  
  
Buffy looked up to see Angel standing over her, his face filled with worry. She stared at him blankly, then murmured the only words she could think of: "We have to help the wounded."  
  
And there were plenty to choose from. There were several people she didn't recognize, and too many she did. Her gaze fell upon Faith; she was aiding a limping Robin Wood, who had a heavy gash on his forehead.  
  
Buffy rushed toward them, ignoring her own minor wounds. "Faith– Robin. Are you all right?"  
  
"Five by five," Faith returned, glancing over at her companion. "But Woody here needs to see a doctor."  
  
Buffy took Robin's other arm and they headed toward a corner where Xander was already beginning to gather the wounded. Angel walked alongside them for a moment, looking oddly pensive as he glanced over Faith. "You're injurred," he said finally, "badly."  
  
Faith merely glared at him. "I'm fine. Slayer healing, and all that."  
  
"Faith– "  
  
"I'm fine." the dark slayer snapped. She and Buffy deposited Wood with the makeshift medics and then turned back to gather more.  
  
As Buffy made her way through the crowd, she noted the Smurf Woman standing over Gunn's body. She was staring down at him, as though she didn't quite know what to make of it. "I told him not to die," she said to no one in particular.  
  
So caught up in watching this was Buffy that she walked straight into someone. Spike. She reeled back, staring at him, uncertain of what to say. He opened his mouth then clamped it shut, seeming to run through several sentences before finally settling on, "You're limping."  
  
"I'll live." she returned bitterly, then started in the other direction.  
  
He caught her arm. "Buffy, wait– "  
  
"We don't have time for this right now," she reminded him, wrenching away. As if to prove her point, she leaned down and helped a now-human Oz rise to his feet.   
  
"Oh, hey Buffy." Oz said, sounding rather tired. He glanced down at himself. "I'm kind of naked, aren't I?"  
  
Wordlessly, Spike removed his coat and handed it over. Oz nodded at him gratefully. "Thanks." He did a double take, frowning at Spike. "Hey, not that I'm all that particular, but weren't you evil?"  
  
Spike shrugged. "I got over it."  
  
"Come on," Buffy interrupted, supporting Oz as he stumbled toward the medics. Once out of earshot of Spike, she softened visibly. "Thanks for showing up, Oz. It's always good to see a familiar face-- especially when we're being attacked by a never-ending demon army."  
  
"Anything to help Willow," Oz returned good-naturedly, though there was a trace of sadness in his eyes.  
  
Buffy helped Oz settle down comfortably and had just turned to go help more of the wounded when she felt a sudden tightening in her chest. She turned instinctively, just in time to see Faith stumble forward, landing squarely in Angel's arms.  
  
"Faith!"   
  
Buffy sprinted forward as Angel lowered Faith to the ground, his eyes intent as he pushed back her hair from her face. "I told her she needed to get medical treatment," he said.  
  
"Will she be all right?" Buffy inquired, surprised at how much it mattered to her. She and Faith had never exactly been the closest of friends, but they were linked. Buffy couldn't really fathom a world without Faith in it.  
  
Angel pushed back Faith's coat, revealing a deep stab wound. He swore under his breath. "Come on, Faith, you don't get to give up yet. You just got back your soul– now it's time to fight for your life. I believe in you, Faith. You can do it– "  
  
"Angel." Buffy placed a hand on his shoulder. "She's gone."  
  
He was silent for a moment, his face completely expressionless. And then his face twisted with grief, and he gathered her now lifeless body into his arms and began to sob. 


	4. Feeling Blue

**The Show Must Go On**

Author: Elizabeth5

a/n: thanks for all the great reviews.

chapter four: Feeling Blue

When all of the wounded were being treated and the dead had been gathered, Buffy found Angel in an abandoned darkened ally, leaning up against the wall. For the first time in her life, he appeared broken to her, hopeless. That look in itself was more terrifying than any demon could ever be.

"Angel?" she began tentatively.

He didn't even turn to look at her. "Over two hundred years of living, and I've only really begun to feel in the last eight years or so. Since I met you. And in that time, I've lost almost everyone that's ever mattered to me– you, Doyle, Fred, Wesley, Gunn, Lorne, Faith, Cordelia."

Buffy looked up at the last name. "Cordelia?" she repeated.

"We must have forgotten to call," Angel said numbly, "there was so much going on. We didn't have time to stop and breathe. Not that I need to breathe..."

She took a moment to process this information. Cordelia was gone. She'd finally managed to turn her life into something more meaningful than being a former Sunnydale High cheerleader, and now she was dead. And Wesley. He'd been a pain in the butt as a watcher, but even during her brief visits to L.A., she could see how much he was growing, changing. It was all so unfair.

"I've lost all the people I love," Angel said, "and I've lost any reason to hope. I signed away my Shanshu."

"Bless you," Buffy said automatically.

Angel shook his head. "No, Buffy, my Shanshu. I was a prophecy that said a vampire with a soul would get the opportunity to become human after he helped to avert the Apocalypse." He glanced at her quickly before continuing, "And I signed it away to help save the world. Good for me."

Buffy was silent, unsure of how to proceed. What words of comfort could she offer him? She'd lost people over the years– too many people– but Angel had literally lost all of his friends, everyone he'd been close to. And now he'd lost any chance to have the one thing he'd always secretly desired. There was no comfort for that.

"I've lost everything," Angel repeated.

Hesitantly, she started forward, stopping when she was standing just in front of him. "Angel. You still have me."

Angel really looked at her for the first time. And then he laughed.

Frowning, Buffy fell back a step. "Hey, I'm not that bad." she protested.

"Sorry, it's just..." Angel shook his head. "You're so delusional."

Her frown deepened. "Huh? Mind running a play-by-play for those of us who are confused?"

He leaned back his head, letting out a drawn-out sigh. "Man, it kills me to admit this. But you're not in love with me. I could tell the moment that you saw Spike again. The way you two just stood there, unable to look away or even move..."

She shifted guiltily. "So you saw that, huh?"

"I saw that." Angel confirmed.

Buffy shook her head quickly. "Well, you're wrong. It just so happens that I'm furious with Spike...in fact, I hate him. He was alive all this time and never even bothered to tell me– and, oh, don't think I'm not a little ticked off at you for that, too."

"He made us promise not to tell," Angel informed her.

Oh, that stung. She forced aside the pain. "Well, whatever the case may be...Spike and I are over. He made that perfectly clear when he decided play hide and seek with me for an entire year."

"And what about you and the Immortal?" Angel inquired, the bitterness evident in his eyes. "Are you two over, too?"

"Totally," Buffy said with a wave of her hand, "that was_ so_ just a...Wait a minute." She focused her gaze on him. "How did you know about the Immortal?"

It was Angels' turn to look guilty. "Spike and I were kind of in Rome. We heard you were in trouble...turns out it just wasn't the kind we could fight off."

She felt a steady blush crawl to her cheeks. "Great. There's nothing less awkward than my two ex-boyfriends stalking me while I date another guy."

But Angel wasn't even listening to her. "That should have been my first indication that Spike was in it for the long haul. I mean, I thought since he didn't want to see you, that meant he'd never really loved you. But I had it all wrong. He didn't want _you_ to see _him_."

"I don't see how that's any better," Buffy said quietly.

"It's a hundred times better," Angel countered, "Believe me– I've been there before. Watching you from the shadows, afraid you might glance over and notice I was there. It wasn't a lack of love for you, Buffy; it was a lack of love for myself."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Please don't get philosophical on me, Angel."

Angel continued to ignore her. "Just like the reason you're angry with Spike for not telling you he was alive isn't because you don't love him anymore. It's because you do."

"For the last time," Buffy seethed, "I am not in love with Spike."

"Then tell me one thing, honestly," Angel replied, meeting her gaze squarely. "When I told you about the Shanshu prophecy, about the vampire with a soul who would become human, who was the first person who came to your mind?"

Buffy remained silent. Angel smiled at this, but his expression was pained. "That's what I thought." He turned and began to walk down the ally.

"Angel," Buffy called after him, a tone of desperation in her voice, "where are you going?"

Angel didn't even turn. "I just remembered– there's one last person I'm living for. I need to make sure he's okay."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Xander finished dressing the head wound of one of the coven witches and then slowly lowered her down to the ground. "Easy now...you're gonna be okay. Trust me– head wounds? No big thing."

His gaze caught on a flash of blue moving by. He looked up to see a beautiful but odd-looking woman stalking past. Her hair was bright blue and everything else on her body had a bluish tint, save be the gaping wound on her arm.

"Hey!" Xander called, almost without thinking. He rose to his feet and hurried after her, catching the arm without a wound. "Let me patch up that cut for you."

"Unhand me, mortal," she snapped, her eyes blazing at his insolence, "I do not wish for your assistance."

"But your arm is bleeding," Xander pointed out sensibly, "and it might get all infected if we don't, you know, clean it and bandage it and give you the right medicine."

The blue woman continued to glare at him. "Your medicine cannot help me. The ache I feel cannot be cured. I have lost my guide."

Xander frowned at her. "Your guide? Is this like a zoo thing...?" She merely stared at him, and despite his better judgment, Xander continued, "I'm not a big fan of zoos, myself. The last time I went to one I was changed into a hyena person and ended up eating a pig raw. Not the fun and games you might imagine. I was getting PETA pamphlets for months– "

"You speak much," said the blue woman, "yet say very little. And you are not my guide."

With that, she turned and left. Xander watched after her wistfully. "And once again, I'm oddly attracted to a demon with no sense of tact or social know-how." He shook his head ruefully. "The fates really do have a funny sense of humor..."


	5. Reunions

**The Show Must Go On**

chapter five: Reunions

Sometime during the wee hours of the morning, the last of the wounded were finally tended to, and Buffy, Dawn, Andrew, and Xander finally made it away from the battlefield. They had scarcely gone two steps when they were greeted by Willow, who looked similarly tired. Wordlessly, she embraced Xander first, then Dawn, then Andrew, and finally Buffy.

Buffy held her tightly; she hadn't realized just how much she had missed Willow. "Thanks for the mojo back there," she said finally, "you saved us all."

Willow waved her hand, a tired smile on her lips. "Yeah, well, what's new?"

With genuine wonder, Buffy marveled at the woman Willow had become. She was so strong now, so confident. It seemed that hardly anything remained of shy little Willow Rosenberg from high school; but then, who was the same anymore?

The smile slowly faded from Buffy's lips. "You heard about Giles?"

And there was that spark of old Willow; she looked very small suddenly, and very tired. "Dawn told me. He...did it hurt much?"

But Buffy couldn't even bear to think of it. "I don't know...I don't think so. He seemed– peaceful."

"Good." Willow said, setting her mouth to keep her tears from spilling. Xander reached out to squeeze her shoulder, and she took his hand gratefully. "We're having the funerals tomorrow– sort of a combined memorial to everyone. And it'll be at night, so– you know– everyone can come who wants to."

Andrew glanced around, scratching at his head before hesitantly raising his hand into the air. "And what are we supposed to do until then?"

"Sleep," Willow replied, smiling at the thought. "Do you guys have a place to stay?"

Buffy shook her head ruefully. "Not so much as no. We kinda came at this thing half-tilt. Not big on the planning."

"Who needs to plan?" Xander quipped. "We're experts on this whole Apocalypse thing."

"Angel."

Dawn had blurted the words so abruptly that even she seemed surprised by them; everyone turned to frown at her, and she managed a sheepish smile. "Sorry, I'm not having a Terrets moment, or anything. He offered to let us stay at that old Hyperion Hotel thing earlier on tonight. I just forgot about it until now."

"Well, that solves one problem," Buffy said with more brightness than she felt. It might be kind of awkward to run into Angel after their previous conversation, but she was too tired to care. And it made her feel weird and sort of achy to be fighting with Angel, anyway. The sooner she patched things up with him, the better.

They made their way to the hotel tiredly but with little incident. Buffy and Willow had already been there before, but Andrew, Xander, and Dawn all looked visibly stunned by the place.

"Hate to say it, but score one for Dead Boy," Xander said grudgingly. "This place is really structurally sound." Seeing the stares of his friends, he sheepishly added, "Guess you can take the boy out of construction but not the construction out of the boy..."

It seemed they weren't the only ones who'd been invited to stay. Buffy saw various friends from the battle wandering around the halls, some offering to share toothpaste and soap and the likes. But there was no sign of Angel, nor of a certain other ensouled vampire.

After some minor debate, Buffy and Dawn took a room on the third floor with Xander and Andrew right next door. Willow left to join Kennedy, who was rooming near some of the other former potentials.

"I know this should be shower-time," Buffy confessed to Dawn as she collapsed onto the bed, "but I'm too tired to move. Wake me for the next Apocalypse, all right?"

Dawn was silent for a moment, and Buffy thought she'd fallen asleep. But then the younger girl abruptly rolled over, her blue eyes searching Buffy probingly. "He's still alive, isn't he?"

Buffy didn't even have to guess to whom Dawn was referring. "Yes," she answered truthfully.

Dawn sat up, gathering her knees into her chest. There was a look of open betrayal in her face; Buffy recognized it well. "I thought I recognized him, for just a second," the youngest Summers murmured, "but he was supposed to be dead. I should have known better. Why did he lie to us?"

"I don't know, Dawnie," Buffy said quietly, reaching out to stroke her sister's hair. "Maybe...he felt it was what he had to do." _Or maybe he was tired of me.  
_

"I hate him," Dawn said after a moment, her voice thick with emotion.

Buffy's hand stopped midstroke. She took a moment to compose herself. "Dawn, whatever Spike's reasons wer for leaving, they had nothing to do with you. If it was anyone, it was me."

Dawn laughed bitterly. "Yeah, well, the monks made me out of you, remember? So if he did it to you, he did it to me, too."

Touched by this show of loyalty, Buffy cupped Dawn's face in her hands, smiling. "I kind of love you, you know that?" Dawn managed a weak smile, and Buffy let her hands drop back into her lap. "Hey, we don't have to think about this now. Let's get some sleep, all right?"

Hesitating only momentarily, Dawn finally nodded and lowered her head to the pillows. In a matter of moments, she was asleep. Buffy watched her for a moment and then crept into the bed beside her, hugging herself as the tears came and came and came.  
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Angel loitered around the entrance to the emergency room. He didn't have to wait long; it was only three minutes later that a certain familiar teenage boy came wandering out. Connor stopped in his tracks at the sight of Angel, smiling sheepishly. "Um, hi."

"Hi." Angel returned, looking pointedly to the cast on Connor's arm.

Connor cleared his throat. "Right. Well, I was going to follow your advice and get out of town, but then I fell off my bike. Which I was riding. And, you know, broke my arm."

Angel smirked. "Yeah...lying really isn't your strong suit."

They fell into step beside each other. "What does that mean, anyway?" Connor inquired. "A strong suit, that is. I mean, is it like a suit made out of steel or something? Or do they mean that the colors won't fade when you put it in the wash– "

"Cards," Angel interrupted. Connor blinked at him, and so Angel elaborated, "It's referring to cards. Your strong suit– like, your suit of cards."

"Oh." Connor blinked a few more times. "I guess that actually makes much more sense."

Angel glanced over at him, the smile fading from his face as he realized the danger his son had faced that evening. "You shouldn't have come tonight." he said simply.

"I knew you'd say that," Connor returned, "mostly 'cuz you've already said it, but also because you're pretty much the stubborn type. But from where I stood, it looked like you guys needed my help. I saved more than one life, I'll have you know."

Angel hated to admit it, but Connor was right. When had he gotten to the point when his son was right and he was wrong?

But instead of admitting this, he motioned to Connor's arm. "Is that the only thing you injurred?"

"Yep," Connor said, puffing his chest out proudly, "score one for miracle boy."

"You're lucky then," Angel returned, looking away.

Connor stopped in his tracks, looking at Angel in concern. "Hey, what happened?"

"I lost the last of my people tonight," Angel confided in him. "Wesley and Gunn. Fred went a little while ago...and so did Cordelia." It had been months, but still he could barely manage to say the words.

"I'm sorry." Connor was silent for a moment, and then he glanced up. "My memories are still a little fuzzy from that other life. Cordelia was the one I..." He clapped his hands and rubbed them together.Angel frowned at him. "I'd prefer it if you never do that again."

Flushing, Connor jerked his hands apart. "Right. Sorry."

They began to walk again. "Yeah, that was her," Angel confirmed, "or, at least, someone who had her body. I'm a little unclear on that whole thing."

Connor looked at him sympathetically. "You loved her, didn't you?"

Angel took in a deep breath, then nodded. "Yeah. I did."

"I'm sorry," Connor said again.

"Life goes on." Angel said. He hesitated for a moment before placing his hand on Connor's shoulder, meeting his gaze with an intensity of emotion that he rarely let anyone see. "_Your_ life goes on," he murmured, "That's all that matters to me."

Surprised, Connor merely stared at him for a moment. And then he nodded.


End file.
